Last week, we had an engaging session with our speaker guest – Amit Tidke an AWS Community Builder. This session was helpful for everyone who wanted to learn more about building and managing images using AWS Image Builder.
Golden VM images ensures consistency, security, and efficiency across your AWS infrastructure. In this session, we have explored how to leverage AWS Image Builder to use compliant golden VM images. The agenda of this session includes:
1. Importance of Hardened Golden Images: 2. Creating an Image Recipe 3. Infrastructure Configuration 4. Components and Pipelines 5. Distribution and Lifecycle
Without any further due, I would encourage you to check our recording in the Cloud Lunch and Learn (CLL) YouTube channel below.
This week, we have a wonderful opportunity to learn from a number of different sessions by attending the Global Azure 2024 event. Yay!
Generally speaking, this event is a huge success as Microsoft community members all over the world are celebrating this occasion by submitting their session for acceptance. This year, I submitted my session with the Microsoft community in the USA, called GIMME CLOUD TALKS.
In this lightning talk, I shared bits and tips on how you could get started in your Cloud Architect journey. Namely, we focused on designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives which is an important part of the AZ-305 exam.
By the end of the session, you should be well-informed on how to start your cloud learning journey and build toward your desired goal of becoming a Cloud Architect. As a complimentary bonus, I shared community created learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and help you get prepared for an important exam in 2024.
Please, check the recorded session below and let me know your feedback. Thank you!
I was thrilled that my both sessions have been accepted for the Festive Tech Calendar 2023 events. The first session has been already announced and posted with a #cloudmarathoner community member and contributor, Kasun which is referenced below.
Dec 28th session: “Unboxing the Festive Design Patterns with Santa”
Today’s post is dedicated to the second session where we will embark on a cloud journey with Santa. Santa will be helping us to understand something about clouds, but not the fluffy white ones in the sky – we’re talking about those special computer clouds!
Here is the festive description of the session:
So, imagine all the important things that people do with their computers, like making games, apps, and websites. These things need a special place to live so they can work properly. That special place is like a magical cloud where you can keep all those important things safe and make them work really well.
Now, the clever grown-ups who help with these computer things are learning more about how to use this cloud in the best way. They want to make sure everything in the cloud works just right. To do this, they plan carefully and design everything perfectly, like how we plan Santa’s route on Christmas Eve to deliver presents.
In a special meeting, they will talk about something called “design patterns.” These are like tricks and plans to help make sure everything in the computer cloud is super safe, works really well, and can grow if more people use it. It’s a bit like Santa’s workshop, where we have special patterns for making toys.
So, you see, just like Santa prepares for Christmas, these clever people are getting ready to make the computer cloud a better and safer place for everyone. It’s like their own magical holiday season for computers! 🎅🌟🖥️
Festive Tech Calendar 2023 session
So, if you are intrigued with it then please check my recorded session to learn about the Festive Cloud design patterns > https://youtu.be/Yj-lXf1l1ng?t=17
Wish you all Happy Holidays and Happy New Year !!!
During my recent project engagement, I was checking on status of the Azure Blueprints – a service which is still in Preview. I was surprised and alerted with the note I saw on the documentation page. Namely, service is scheduled to be deprecated.
What is Azure Blueprints (Preview)?
First thing first, this is a service that we use in Governance of Azure resources. This preview service allows the engineers and architects to sketch a project’s design parameters, by enabling cloud architects and central information technology groups to define a repeatable set of Azure resources that implements and adheres to an organization’s standards, patterns, and requirements.
What to do if you are using it?
No worries here. If you already using this service, then plan to migrate your existing blueprint definitions and assignments to Template Specs and Deployment Stacks. Your existing Blueprint artifacts could be converted to ARM JSON templates or Bicep files used to define deployment stacks.
When is the deadline?
Well, all the Blueprints (Preview) will be deprecated on July 11, 2026. Thus, you should have enough time to make the transition to Template Specs and Deployment Stacks.
If you have been implementing your customers with the management of enterprise subscriptions and policies, then it is a pretty common need to automate the provisioning of those subscriptions in a controlled and secure manner.
The good news is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and do everything from scratch. The Microsoft team that is behind the Azure Landing Zones implementation has a good reference that could tremendously help you.
Microsoft Global Customer Success team
Have you ever checked the subscription vending IaC Modules from the Microsoft Global Customer Success team (the same team behind Azure Landing Zones)?
Subscription Vending IaC Modules
Well, if not then Subscription Vending IaC Modules are available for you in two popular infrastructure-as-code (IaC) tools: Bicep and Terraform. AND designed to help you implement the best practices for subscription provisioning.
Why use these modules?
Using these modules, you can quickly and easily provision new Azure subscriptions that are pre-configured to meet your organization’s specific needs. The modules include parameters/variables for Role-Based Access Control, Networking, Tags, and more.
Last week, we had an engaging session on Cloud Lunch and Learn meetup about exploring Azure Stack HCI and Azure Arc with Thomas Bründl .
Azure Stack and azure arc
In this post, I will reflect upon some major points in this session that covers:
Azure in Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Scenarios
Managing existing infrastructure on-premises in Azure
Getting you familiar with using hybrid Azure services with focus on Azure Arc and Stack HCI
What was covered?
Our guest speaker covered the following topics in his presentation:
Evolving services in Azure Infrastructure
Azure Arc
Azure Stack HCI
Azure Arc Jumpstart
References to how to get started with Azure Stack HCI and connectivity
Summary
At the end of the session, we had an interactive Q&A (Questions and Answers). Please check the recording and reference links as the recording is uploaded to the Cloud MarathonerYT channel.
Thank you for stopping by and checking this session!
Yesterday, we had an engaging session on Cloud Lunch and Learn meetup about Azure Architecture, particularly for Modern Analytics Cloud Data Platform with Warner Chaves.
Modern Analytics
In this post, I will reflect upon some major points in this presentation and architecting session.
Our guest speaker covered the following topics in his presentation:
Reference architecture for modern analytics platforms
Data Warehousing
Big Data
Lakehouse
Data Mesh and more in Microsoft Azure
Summary
At the end of the session, we had an interactive Q&A (Questions and Answers). Please check the recording and reference links as the recording is uploaded to the Cloud MarathonerYT channel.
Thank you for stopping by and checking this session!
In this session, I focused on a number of changes in Microsoft Azure Architect exam, as it might be troublesome to get ready for it with all the digital distractions around us.
However, in this lightning talk, I shared bits and tips on how to focus on the AZ-305 Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions exam objectives and help you to prepare for a big day.
A screenshot from the participants comments
As part of this presentation, I have shared free, official and community learning resources that will boost your knowledge, and hopefully help you pass this important exam with confidence.
A screenshot of an official practice exam reference
If you missed this session, no worries, you are covered, as this session was recorded. It is freely availiable on the #cloudmarathoner ⏯ 🖐 YouTube channel here.
The slides and as well as links to the recommended resources are posted on my 🖐 👨💻 GitHub repo here.
Please, feel free to check up this GitHub repo, share & fork it as you like 👍
High availability (HA) is an important quality measure of computing infrastructure that is mission-critical for the customer facing applications and overall organization’s systems. High availability permits the computing infrastructure to continue functioning, even when certain components fail.
Thus, cloud solution providers (CSPs) are expected to deliver certain measures and guarantees to claim the high availability of the offered services.
The diagram below, equates Service Level Agreement (SLA) percentual to actual downtime, measured in seconds per week, month and year.
How to achieve High Availability in Azure?
Azure infrastructure is composed of geographies, regions, and availability zones which in turn limits the impact of a physical server or Sofware update failure and therefore limit potential impact to customer applications and data.
The Azure availability zones construct was developed to provide a software and networking solution to protect against datacenter failures and to provide increased high availability (HA) to the Azure customers.
Availability zones are playing very important role in designing your HA solution to meet customer needs. Please, read more about the Azure Regions and availability zones here.
Part 12: Design for high availability
The references below are taken from official Microsoft docs and focused on designing HA solutions in Azure. You could also find it helpful to check the Microsoft docs and learning paths with [Tutorials] below 😉.
This collection of links is gathered with a focus on the exam objectives of the AZ-305 certification exam.
A Network Infrastructure is the physical equipment (also known as, hardware) as well as the software applications that support your company’s services to run. Types of network infrastructure include foundational hardware, software, services and facilities.
The physical network infrastructure requires cabling, routers, switches, and other pieces of equipment which help support them and make sure they are connected internally and externally. However, most Cloud Solution Providers (CSPs) virtualize this physical infrastructure and provide software defined, virtual networks.
WHAT are the network infrastructure solution in azure?
Azure network infrastructure connects and delivers your hybrid and cloud-native applications with low-latency, with Zero Trust based networking services.
The networking services in Azure provide a variety of networking capabilities that can be used together or separately. Those key capabilities are grouped into four services and described on Azure networking services overview :
The references below are taken from official Microsoft docs and focused on designing Network Infrastructure solutions in Azure. You could also find it helpful to check the Microsoft docs and learning paths with [Tutorials] below 😉.
This collection of links are gathered with a focus toward the exam objectives of AZ-305 certification exam.
